Broken review units throw a wrinkle on Samsung Galaxy Fold launch

Samsung has delayed the launch of the Galaxy Fold
indefinitely after widespread reports and impressions from early reviewers saw
the phone not working as intended.

While Samsung remained confident, pinning some malfunctions
on reviewers who removed a protective layer that was confused to be a screen
protector, several reviewers noted their units being damaged without removing
the thin layer and chalking it up to a bad hinge. Following a spate of bad
reviews, this has put the phone manufacturer on notice with them indefinitely
putting launch plans on hold.

The company, in a press release was quoted as saying, “To
fully evaluate this feedback and run further internal tests, we have decided to
delay the release of the Galaxy Fold. We plan to announce the release date in
the coming weeks.”

Samsung also reported "Initial findings from the inspection of reported issues on the
display showed that they could be associated with impact on the top and
bottom exposed areas of the hinge. There was also an instance where
substances found inside the device affected the display performance."

The Galaxy Fold was intended to launch this month on April
23rd in selected markets with no release window for the Middle East.
The region has a strong case for having the purchasing power and the
willingness for consumers to jump on first generation hardware at launch making
it an ideal launch pad for the device.

With this announcement, it looks likely
that the Galaxy Fold launching the Middle East could be delayed. Users
interested to buy the device will only get a pre-registration screen online on
the company’s product page at this time.

The move from Samsung is prudent. The company is no stranger
to product fallout, having dealt with a hardware bust in the past in 2016 with their
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and their exploding battery. While the events that are
unfolding with the Galaxy Fold certainly are a bad look, it’s one that will
have minimum impact on the company’s overall image.

The Galaxy S10 has gotten strong reviews across the board
and with a diverse consumer line up, the Galaxy Fold is an outlier. Unlike the
Note 7 that was already in the hands of consumers, only early review units of
the Fold were damaged.

The delay can now help Samsung look into fixing critical
components rather than issuing a product recall that would have been both
expensive and disastrous for the company. From that perspective, a delayed
product launch does certainly look better than a defective product going out considering
that the Fold really needs to make a great first impression.

Samsung also have another reason to make sure the $2,000
device sets waves and impressions about foldable phones. Huawei’s first 5G and
foldable phone, the Mate X is also set to release later this year in select
markets with a slightly higher price tag of $2,607 (Dh9,576) that works both
like a phone and tablet just like the Galaxy fold albeit with the screen
folding outwards.

With Huawei’s reputation being tested on the international
front, their product portfolio is currently their strong suit and the Mate X
presents an opportunity for the Chinese manufacturer.